Pocket cigar lighter



NOV. 8, 1932. O, N, BERMANY 1,886,461

POCKET C IGAR LI GHTER Filed Deo. l5, 1928 niiiinll I y lll 33 Z5 :L EUH 55,5182* /9 '45.

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26 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE OTTO N.HERMAN, -OF FOREST HILLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD DEVICES, INC.,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

POCKET CIGAR LIGHTER Application led December 13, 1928. Serial No.825,678.

My invention relates to pocket cigar lighters of the general type inWhich a wick is ignited and the resulting fiame is exposed, by

means of appropriate mechanism housed in a 5 pocket casing and includinga thumb piece or the likefor actuating the mechanism.

More particularly stated my invention relates to various d etails in theconstruction of the casing used asa housing for the other l parts, theidea being to give the casing such form as to enable nearly all of it tobe cast in a single piece in which are integrally incorporated a numberof parts which would ordinarily be made separate therefrom; and 7x5 atthe same time, to improve the eicieney of said piece and its variouscomponent parts.

My invention further contemplates a new arrangement of the. variousworking parts housed Within the casing so as to simplify the manufactureof said parts, to facilitate their assemblage within the casing, and toimprove their positioning relatively to each other within the casing, inorder to increase their eiciency and to promote their accessibility.

My invention also relates to the forms' given to various parts and themanner in which said parts are connected together or brought intocooperation with each other in order to attain various mechanicaladvantages, as here,- inafter moreparticularly set forth.

' Attention is called to myvpending application', Serial No. 228,746,filed October 26th, 1927, for patent upon a cigar lighter.

Referencev is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of 'thisspecification, and in which'like reference characters indicate likeparts throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved pocket cigar lighter, shownas made of metal and as bare or without any covering, various movableparts being in their respective normal positions, the casing being shownas partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevation ofthe same mechanism, but with the thumbpiece depressed, and the iame burning and exposed.

Figure 3 is a section through the mechanism as shown in Figure 1, `butwith the addition .au of a covering upon the casing, and is taken uponthe line 3 3 of Figure 8, looking in the direction indicated by thearrows.

Figure 4 is a substantially central vertical section through themechanism shown in Figure 2, with the addition of a covering upon thecasing.

Figure 5 is a substantially central vertical section through the largesingle casing member which constitutes nearly all of the casing, and ispreferably a casting.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the casing member shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an inverted plan of the casing member shown in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 3, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the thumb piece and parts castintegraltherewith.

Figure 10 is an inverted plan of the mechanism shown in Figure 9. y

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the snuier and4 a rack connectedtherewith, these two parts being cast integral.

Figure 12 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a side elevation of a cap plate forming a part of mydevice.

Figure 14 is an inverted plate shown in Figure 13.

A casing member is shownyat 15 and is used as a housing for the variousother parts. This casing member may be'made of any material suitable forthe purpose, and in the particular instance here illustrated is made of85 metal. The casing may be bare, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, or itmay be provided with a covering 1 6, of leather or similar materiall asindicated in Figures 3 and 4. If leather be used, it may be of the kindcommonly known as snakeskin, lizard skin, pebble or the like. However,the covering may l ofth pan ecapso be made of cardboard, sheet horn,polished enamel, or in fact any suitable covering material of thisgeneral kind, all such materials being well known in this art. v

The casing member 15 and a number of parts incorporated with it are castin a single integral piece, as shown in Figure` 5 of the 100 drawing andas hereinafter more particularly described. l

The casin as a whole is flat, and at one of its edges 1s provided withan opening 17, serving as a doorway, this doorwaybemg bounded by anendless raised bead 18. The purposeof the doorway is to promoteaccessibility to the ilame used for purposes of i ition, and the bead 18which bounds the oorway is that part of the casing which is subjected tothe highest degree of-heat. The bead 18, being essentially a thickenededge portion of the casing wall,is adapted to withstand this heatwithout undue deterioration. This function of the bead 18, inwithstanding the destructive effects of heat, is quite important whenthe casing is bare, as indicated in Figures land 2, and is even moreimportant when the casing is provided with its covering 16, which forobvious reasons must be protected from excessive heat.

The bead 18 serves still another useful purpose. Being thicker than'themain body portion of the casing wall, it serves as a shoulder a ainstwhich is abutted the adjacent edge o? the covering 16, the outer surfaceof this covering being substantially. Hush with the outer surface of thebead Thus the bead 18 serves as an abutment for preventing displacementof the covering 16, as may be understood from Figures 3 and 4.

The casing 15 is provided with a parti-l tion 19 extending across itinternally and inte ral with it, this partition having a step 20.

gI`he casing is mutilated at one of its corners, as shown at 15a inFigures 2 and 4, and the edge or boundary of the. casing, where thusmutilated, carries a bead 21, which is essentially a thickened portionof the casing wall, much like the bead 18 above Idescribed.

A marginal bead 22 is practically a continuation of the bead 21 andextendstherefrom around the adjacent top edge portion 'chorages forbolts used for. supporting other Aparts within the casing. p

The casing is further provided at its bottom edge with another marginalbead 25,

substantially like the marginal bead 22 but extending integrally aroundthe entire pcriphery of one end of the casing. l

The marginal beads 22 and 25, the bead 21 andthe lugs 23 and 24 are allintegral with the casing, and together serve, like the bead 18-ab0vedescribed, as shoulders or barriers against which are abutted theadjacent edge portions of the covering, and which therefore act to someextent as a frame for holding vthe covering in position. lThis purpose;is facilitated by the fact that, generally speaking, the outer surfaceof the covering is flush with the outer surfaces of the various beads.This also greatly improves the ap-` pearance of the finished article,and renders it more agreeable tofthe touch as grasped by the lingers orheld in the hand.

The casing 15 is further provided inwardly with a cored rib 26 inte ralwith it, as ind1- cated in Figures 6 and and essentially in the natureof a thickened portion of the casing wall. This cored rib merges intothe substance of the partition 19, and serves practically as a tubeextending through said partition, as indicated in Figure 1.. Locatedwithin this tube is a spring 27, engaging a small plug 54 made ofpyrophoric material and commonly known as a flint, of a type well knownin this art.

The casing is detachably fitted at one of its ends with a bottom plate30. This bottom plate is rovidedwith a shoulder 31 and is thus fitteaccurately. It is preferablyv forced into position, so as to hold itsecurely and render it oil-tight. ,v

The space betweenA the bottom plate and the partition 19 is used as afuel chamber,'for the storage of a supply of liquid fuel such'asbenzine, gasoline, or alcohol.

A wick is shown at 33 and extends upwardly through the partition 19. Abead 34 extends above this partition, and a bead 35 extends below thesame, these two beads being integral with the partition and togetherforming a burner tube through which' the wick extends. v A screw plug36, fitted detachably .intoa hole through the bottom plate.30,.serves asa escape of the liquid fuel.

-A top'plate 37,' shownmore particularly in Figures 13 and 14, is neatlyfitted in'to one end of the casing. This top plate is provided with afiange 38 and with a pair of ears 39, of the form indicated in Figures13 and 1,4. :When the top plate is brought into position the flange 381s fitted neatly into a bolt` 40 is extended through the thickened'portion .23 ofthe vcasingy and through the, ears 39- The bolt 40 is.screwed into positiony by aid'of a screwdriver, and when in holdstheptop plate firmly in position.

'Thevz'rcasing is provi ed internally with twopairs of'ribs 41, 41, and42, 42, as mayl be understood from Figures 6 and 8. v

Carried by the partition 19 and extending upwardly therefrom is a shell43, provided with 'a'small compartment 44 merging into y the compartmentbelowthe vpartition` 19.

j The shell 43, by virtue of this` compartment 44, serves to practicallyenlarge the fuel chamber.4 The'shell also serves as a guide for a spiralspring 45, seated-upon the partition 19 and extending upwardly therefromi according to'Figures 3 and 4.

'closure member v for normally preventingthe g .the adjacentend portionof the casing-and z 1x5 place tends into this opening and is seatedtherein.

ratchet teeth 55, the number of which is equal to the number of pawlteeth 53 carried by the pinion 51.

A spring 56, is coiled spirally around the bolt 52, and engages thepinion 51 and presses it. toward the friction wheel 54. The parts are soarranged that a rocking movement of v the pinion 51 confers upon thefriction wheel 54 a step-by-step rotary movement in one div rection.

A snuifer is shown at 57 ,and has the form of a small block, which isprovided with a pair of grooves 58, 58, into which the ribs 41, 41 ofthe casing fit neatly, as may be understood from Figure 8.- The snuier57 carries a rack 59, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of thepinion 51.

The snuiier 57 is provided with a hole 60, serving toseat a spring 61,which thus exerts a gentle pressure u on the snufer. The snufer isprovided with an opening 62, and is thus cup-shaped, for the purpose offitting over. the adjacent end portion of the wick.

The friction wheel 54, by its rasping action upon the plug 54 ofpyrophoric material, causes sparks to be emitted, and driven to the leftand out through the doorway according to Figures 3 and -4, thus ignitingthe wick. This occurs whenever the thumb piece 461 is depressed, so thatthe snuffer is raised into its uppermost position, as indicated inFigure 4.

The doorway 17 'and the slide 47 with the thumb piece 46 are favorablylocated for preventing heat of the lamp flame from spreading so as todestroy or injure the covering 16,

l or to unduly heat the casing. When the operator so grasps the lighterthat his thumb engages the thumb piece and his foreinger rests againstthe bottom plate 30, the lighter .is readily held in such position thatits edge provided with the doorway 17 is uppermost. In actual practicethe lighter is usually held that way. This allows the flame to extendoutwardly through the doorway, so as to heat the casing as little aspossible. In this connection it may be noted that the 'bead 18, beingrather thick and massive, does not become heated quite as quickly aswould be the case if it were thin and fragile, and does not transmit itsheat quite so freely to the adj acent wall of the casing and to thecovering 16.

The operation of my device may be readily understood from the foregoingdescription.

Each time the thumb piece is depressed the friction wheel 54 is turnedone step as above described, the wick being lightedy and the snufferbeing removed at the same instant. The thumb piece being now relaxed,the expansion of the springs brings the various working parts back tonormal position, the snuffer thus descending upon the wick andextinguishing the flame.

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, as variations maybe made therein without departing from my invention, the scope of whichis commensurate with my claims.

I claim:-

1. `In a cigar lighter the combination of a hollow casing memberprovided with a partition and with a pair of ribs, said partition andsaid ribs being integral with said casing member and thus forming asingle piece therewith, a plate itting'one end of said casing member andnormally closing the same, thus forming a chamberupon one side of saidpartition, a wick housedv within said chamber and provided with an endportion extending through said partition, a snuffel' carried by saidcasing and movable relatively to said end portion of said wick, saidsnuifer being provided with grooves into which said ribs are. fitted, afriction wheel and a pyrophoric member carried by said casing member anddisposed adjacent `said snuffer and said "end portion of said wick, andmechanism carried by said casing member and controllable manually by theoperator, for actuating said friction wheel and for shifting .theposition of said snutfer. A

2. In a cigar lighter the combination of a casing provided with a fuelchamber and with a wick extending therefrom, said casin being furtherprovided with a plurality o ribs arranged in pairs, a snufer slidablymounted upon one pair of said ribs and movable relatively to saidcasing, a slide provided with grooves and thereby fitted upon a secondpair of said ribs, said last mentioned slide being movable by hand, anda gear member carried by said casing and engaging said slide and saidsnufi'er, for the purpose of actuating said snuffer.

3. In a cigar lighter, the combination of a flat hollow casing memberprovided with an edge portion and with a doorway interrupting said edgeportion and serving as a flame opening, said casing member belng furtherprovided with a portion formed into a bead and bounding said iameopening, a covering carried by said casing member and provide `with anedge abutting against said bead, and lighting mechanism mounted withinsaid casing and provided with means for creating and extinguishing afiame within said flame opening.

4. In a cigar lighter, the combination of a fiat casing member providedwith an edge and with an opening interrupting said edge and disposedsubstantially midway between the ends of said casing and thusintermediate the extremities of said edge, said casing being furtherprovided with a raised bead bounding said opening, a snuffer carried bysaid casing and movable relatively'to said opening for the purpose ofcovering and uncovering the same, and lighting mechanism housed withinsaid casing and connected with said snuifer, said lighting mechanismbeing controllable by the operator for the purpose of producing andextin uishing a fiame adjacent said'opening an of actuating saidsnuffer.

5. A cigar lighter comprising an elongated hollow casing member open atboth of its ends and provided with a partition extending across itinternally, said partition having a portion extending laterally from itand formed into a shell with a compartment, a plate fitted to one end ofsaid casing and normally closing the same, so as to form a chambersuitable for holding liquid fuel, said ,compartment of said shellmerging into said fuel chamber and thus virtually increasing thecapacity thereof so as to enable it to hold aii increased volume of saidliquid fuel, a wick enclosed in said fuel chamber and provided with anend portion extending through said partition, and lighting mechanismcarriedby said casing and disposed adjacent said c nd portion of saidwick for the purpose of igvniting the same, said lighting mechanismbeing-connected with said thumb piece and actuated by movements thereof.

6. A pocket lighter comprising an elongated fiat hollow member providedwith a partition extending across it internally and further providedlwith a cored rib extending through said partition, said partition ansaid cored ribv being integral with said casing, mechanism carried-bysaid casing and co-acting with said artition toform a fuel cham* ber onone si e of said-partition, a wick located within said fuel chamber andprovided with a portion extending to said partition, a friction wheelcarried by said casing and disposed adjacent said portion of said wick,a pyrophoric member engagin said wheel and co-acting therewith forlighting said portion of said wick, said pyrophoric member being housedwithin said cored rib, and a spring mounted within said cored rib andengaging gglild'yrophoric member against said friction w ee I 7. Apocket lighter comprising an elongated fiat hollow casing memberprovidedwith a pair of oppositely disposed edge portions extending lengthwise ofthe casing and parallel with each other, one of said edge portions beingprovided with a flame opening located intermediate the ends of thecasing, the other of said edge portions beingprovided with an opening atone corner of the casing, a snuffer carried by said casing and movablerelatively to said first mentioned opening for the purpose of coveringand uncovering same, a slide carried by said casin and disposed withinsaid second mentione opening, said slide serving as a corner piece forthe casing and being movable by the operators thumb, and lightingmechanism carried by said casing and connected with said snuffer andwith said corner piece, said lighting mechanism being controllable bymovements of said cornerpiece for the purpose of producing a flame insaid first mentioned opening and of actuating said snufler.

8. In a pocket lighter, the combination of a longitudinal fiat hollowcasing provided with a pair of oppositely disposed edge portionsextending lengthwise of the casing and parallel with each other, one ofsaid edge portions being interrupted by a flame opening locatedsubstantially midway between the ends of the casing, said casing beingfurther provided with an opening located at one of its corners andbounding the edge ortion extending toward said corner, a snu erl carriedby said casing and movable relatively to said-flame opening for thepurpose of covering and uncovering the same, a slide carried by saidcasing and fitting into said second mentioned'opening, said slide andsaid snuier being thus located upon opposite edges of the casing, saidslide having a thumb piece whereby it may be actuated, andpyrophoriclighting mechanism carried by said casing and connected withsaid snufi'er and with said slide, said lighting mechanism beingcontrollable by movements of said thumb piece for actuating said snuiierand for producing a fiame in said flame opening.

l l 9; A lighter comprising a casing provided with an opening along oneside, a wick in said opening, a wick snufler slidably mounted in saidcasing for closing said opening. a

Afinger piece slidablyl mountedin said casing and forming a cornerof'said casing and out of line with said snuffer, means operativelyconnecting said snuier and finger 'piece to cause movement of saidsnufi'er in one direction upon movement of the nger piece in theopposite direction,`and means responsive to the operation of said meansfor igniting said wick. Y

10. A lighter comprising a casing provided withl an opening along oneside, a wick in said opening, a wick snuifer slidably mounted in saidcasing for closing said opensoi ioo

izo

ing, a nger piece forming a corner of said casing, guides for saidfinger piece for slidably mounting the same in a rectilinear path insaidv casing out of line with said snuier, means operatively connectingsaid snuier and inger piece to cause movement of said snuer in onedirection upon movement of the inger piece in the o posite direction,and means responsive to t e operation of said means for igniting saidwick.

11. A lighter comprising a casing provided with an opening along oneside, a wick in said opening, a Wick snuiifer slidably mounted insaidcasing for closing said opening, a finger piece slidably mounted insaid casing and formin a. corner of said casing and out of line. withsaid snuii'er, a pinion in said casing, a rack on said snuier engagingone side of said pinion, a rack on said finger piece engaging the otherside of said pinion, whereby movement of said finger piece causes amovement of said snuier in the op osite direction, and means operated bysaid pinion for igniting said wick.

12. A lighter comprising a casing provided with an opening along oneside, a wick in said opening, a- Wick snuier slidably mounted in saidcasing for closing said opening, a finger piece forming a corner of saidcasing, guides for said finger piece for slidably mounting the same in arectilinear path in said casing out of line with said snuifer, a pinionin said casing, a rack on said snulfer engaging one side of said pinion,a rack on said iinger piece engaging the other side of said pinion,whereby movement of said finger piece causes a movement of said snuii'erin the opposite direction, and means operated by said pinion forigniting said wick.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 12th day of December, 1928. y

OTTO N.

